


Midnight Call

by Treon



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-10-16
Packaged: 2017-12-29 14:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treon/pseuds/Treon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set pre-series</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight Call

The ringing of his cellphone woke Peter up. His bedside clock glowed a red 00:24. He glanced at his phone before he answered, but he didn't recognize the number. "Yeah?"

"Special Agent Peter Burke?"

He couldn't place the voice on the other end of the line. "Yeah. Who is this?"

"Neal. Neal Caffrey." Caffrey sounded almost hurt he had to bother with introductions. "Did I wake you?"

Now Peter was completely awake. "No, no." He lied automatically, hand reaching in the dark for the light switch. He could feel El turn over at his side, muttering something in her sleep.

"Where are you, Neal?" He tried to keep his voice neutral, friendly even. Caffrey had approached him once before, outside a bank in Manhattan. He could have caught him then, if only he'd acted on his gut instincts. Since then the kid's list of suspected crimes has grown longer and longer.

He got a light laugh in response. "Oh, come on, Peter. That's *your* job to figure out." A slight pause. "Were you working on my file?"

Peter's fingers finally closed on the switch, chasing the darkness from his side of the room. He could feel his brain strain, trying to catch up with the sudden switch from deep sleep to wakefulness. "I do have other cases, you know. You keeping busy?"

"Always."

Peter never had one of his suspects call him before. But then, he never had a case-file like Caffrey's before. His first instinct was to keep the call going, though he knew he couldn't trace it, and it probably wouldn't help if he did. Maybe the kid would reveal something. "Thought you might be bored, if you're calling up FBI agents in the middle of the night."

He was rewarded with another laugh. "Maybe I am. Staying ahead of the police over here isn't as hard." 

Over here. Had Caffrey gone abroad? "Neal, if you get caught outside US jurisdiction, you'll be subject to the local justice system. You could find yourself in some dank prison cell for the rest of your life."

"You're concerned about me? I'm touched."

"If you turn yourself over to the FBI, we can give you a good deal."

"Not going to happen, Agent Burke."

Peter bit his lip, realizing he'd gotten off track. Caffrey didn't call to be lectured. "What do you want, Neal?"

He finally got the kid to hesitate. "I'll get back to you on that. Listen, I got to go." And with that the call was disconnected.

Peter sighed, and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Who was it?" El touched his arm. Peter had tried keeping his voice low, but it seems he'd woken her up anyway.

"Neal Caffrey."

"The art thief?" She looked at him with concern. "What did he call for?"

"I'm not sure." Caffrey didn't gloat, he didn't threaten. What did he want? Peter threw off his blankets. He was now wide-awake, and suddenly quite eager to review Caffrey's file. Because he was going to get that kid if it was the last thing he did.


End file.
